The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-30
A TYPE.SETTING MACHINE
AND A PERFECT AND RAPID
TYPE DISTRIBUTOR
That, When They Come Into Use,
Will RevOlutiOnize the
Printing Business.

ElhttuE business.
New YORK, Jsnusry 29.-Last week
| WIS in lion and spent consider able
time at the Remington srmory watch
ing the operations OF two Mcmillan
type ssttiGg machines, the invention
Of comparatively young and Gear
headed man. The general fetturts
are not unlike o, her machines. 01e
advantage Is that the &C ises" for ach
letter are separht'. These consist of
brass channels about two fact long,
one side If the channel being type
high and the other side about two
thirds as high. At PRESENT the letters
are arranged in these channels by
hand. The channels are set hori-
,ntaly on rack, their ends coming
up sgainst the front OF the machine
where the little plungers are, the type
being kept il contact with the plung-
trs by follower actualed by weight,
which moves the row OF lett rs Tor.
ward whenever one of them
is removed. If the letters in
any ore case become exlsusi-
I'd the follower itself inter.
cepts the plunger and prevents the
operator going further. Ordinary type
is used in this machine, no spstial
"picks" being necessary. A TO its
prat tcabilily and economy, Mr.. Nc
MILAN told me that he had one Of
these m lchints at work in a morning
newspaper off 70 fer year, taking the
copy ss it was given out, miscellany,
local and telegraph news. the average
amount set during the whole time
wss $4,000 ems OF mst!er per night.
Arrangements have been made to put
these mscaines-two for minion aud
one for nonpareil-toe ether with q
type distributing machine in the Office
of an afternoon paper in the eastern
portion OF the State come time next
month, and do the whole composition
of the paper ON them. 1t will be a
severe trial, but one from which glory
can be reaped, if successful.
The type distributing machine
which Mr.. Mcmillan has invented and
built is a marvel of ingenious simple
iiy. There is a revolving conical disc,
ABOUT Thirty inches in diameter, the
slope being about twenty degrees with
the horizln. On the top Of this disc
sre fastened eighty.four steal sectors,
made very true, and just far enough
apart to admit line of type of the
size desired. Oue edge on the upper
side of each sector is chamfared, so
that the type, taken lima by line flom
the galley by an attendant, is easily
inserted. At the lower end OF each
channel there are two luge that pro-
jsct over one edge two one.hundredths
of an inch, and against which the type
is pressed by coil spring acting on a
follower that is always pressing on the
upper end of the line OF type. The
Tugs Just mentioned are attached to
movable bars working in ver-
teal slot on the periphery
of the disc. At the bottom
Of each bar is steel stud
running in wave like cham ell cut on
the inside of a steel rim to the disc.
As the disc revolves, carrying the
bars bearing Jugs with it, the latter
are constantly moving up and down,
to the maximum extent of six-tenths
If an inch. The position Of the Tugs
are ever changing, bat they are al.
ways in the same citation to one an
other at the same point in each revo-
luton Of the disc. There are seventy
seven Of these points, at each one Of
VIII CHI the posi- ion of the Tugs
are four one-hundredths of
an inch different from their posi-
ton at any of the other seventy.six
points. For each OF these positions
one character of the type has pair Of
''nicks" cut in place of the ordinary
hicks which are put upon type to
guide the eye of the composition. The
type is put into the channels, the disc
revolvep, and the outer or lower latter
character in the line is elected when
the Tugs which have held it back come
into the proper position to fit its
hicks, thus allowing 1t to psss,
The letters might be allowed to fall
into little boxes and then be trans
ferred to cases for ordinary compost
ton, but Mr.. Mcmillan fastens into a
circular rack surrounding the ma
chine series OF his brass leases" or
channels used in the type setting
machine, and the letters are delivered
into these, which may be set away un-
til they are wanted for use On the se.-
ting machine. Ia the scheme OF
characters a few of the letters most
frequently used are duplicated, there
being two points ut which q, e, and
some eight ctler letters are delivered.
The disc revolves once in two min
utes. This may Eeem slow, but IL
must be remembered that letters ere
being constantly delivered from
eighty-fve different channele, and it
has been determined by actual work
ings of the machine that the delivery
is 1000 characters at every revolution
of the disc. A simple mutt plication
shows that on an average every chan-
mel in the disc elects a letter into
every seventh case.
The actual speed Of distribution by
this machine is from ten to thirteen
thousand measured ems of type an
hour, or just about double the rate OF
composition on one OF the type setting
machines. In other words, MIR. Nc
MILAN states, after he has set type
steadily for more than two years on
the lion Citizen and for one year on
daily, as previously stated, that three
men and two boys, operating a dis
tributor and two type setting machines,
Can easily distribute and compose,
prove and correct ready for making
no, 100, GOO ems OF type in day OF ten
hours.
A mechanics admiration must CEN
ter in the type distributor. The sccu'
racy of every part forced the msnu!act-
urers to make special tools for each in.
dividusl member, but by the use of
these every succeeding machine can be
made precisely like the first and at
greatly reduced cost, and the parts
Of all machines will be interchange
able.